IKEA is building hundreds of affordable houses in the UK

June 27, 2019

It is no secret that housing in the UK is expensive – especially if you’re looking to buy in a big city. However, it looks like IKEA is stepping in to help aspiring British homeowners secure a property for less, thanks to their new affordable housing option.

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Swedish housing development business, BoKlok, which is owned by IKEA and construction firm Skanska, has made a deal with the council in Worthing, West Sussex, to build 162 innovative flat-pack houses in order to help combat the country’s ongoing housing crisis.

But exactly is a flat-pack house? As explained by the company – which specialises in ‘sustainable, quality and at a low price for all’ and has already built 11,000 homes across Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway – the homes are prefabricated offsite and will be built on land licensed from the council. Each home comes complete with flooring, tiling and an IKEA kitchen, so you can expect it to look Scandi chic too.

‘We can build small apartments in a single day, and the roof goes on as quickly as possible to avoid weather damage,’ BoKlok states. As for pricing, the company assures it will be accessible for all, claiming ‘a single parent can afford to buy and live in a newly built two-bedroom BoKlok apartment.’

Speaking to the Worthing Herald recently, Councillor Kevin Jenkins said: ‘We are often accused as a council of not caring and taking into account the needs of families across the town. This is an example of taking the lead in utilising land that is in our control to actually meet the growing need of our families that want to get into the housing market.